


Blue Smells Like Home

by S10StarWarsFan



Category: X Company (TV)
Genre: A little angst, A new epilogue for X Company, Celebrations, F/M, Fluff, I took way to long transcribing the radio announcement, Kissing, Lots of dead characters mentioned, Love Confessions, Real Radio Announcement, Reunions, Synesthesia, VE Day, but mainly fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-08 06:21:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26847331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/S10StarWarsFan/pseuds/S10StarWarsFan
Summary: "Alfred closed his eyes, breathing in the fresh air and the tastes of the world around him. The fight was fought and the battle was won.The war in Europe was finally over."An Epilogue for X Company that takes place on VE Day
Relationships: Alfred Graves/Aurora Luft, Krystina Breeland/Tom Cummings (Past), Krystina Breeland/William Sinclair (Implied)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	Blue Smells Like Home

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Hi! So, I discovered X Company in September and watched all three seasons over the course of a week. I absolutely loved the series and was sad when I got to the end of the last episode because while the ending was good, I really wanted Alfred and Aurora to end up together. I found an interview with the writers of the show, and one of them said that she thought that Alfred and Aurora would be reunited after the war, running towards each other in slow motion. Well, that idea wouldn't leave me alone, so I decided to write my own epilogue about when the war ends.
> 
> I hope that you enjoy this epilogue!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own X Company. I don't. If I did, Harry would not have died and Alfred and Aurora would have gotten together a whole lot sooner!
> 
> For Your Information: The VE Day speech is actually parts of the real speech that Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King gave on May 8, 1945. I also picked and chose certain parts because it was a 12 minute speech and it would have been too long to include in this story. Where I skip over parts, you will see three dots. Also, the ranks in the story are those that Alfred and Krystina have in the epilogue of the show. Alfred has the rank of a Captain (three pips on his shoulder) and Krystina has the rank of a Second Lieutenant (one pip on her shoulder). I made up the part about them being in charge of Camp X because I wanted to.
> 
> Now, after all that, on to the story! Sit back and enjoy!

May 8, 1945

Captain Alfred Graves was working in his office when 2nd Lieutenant Krystina Breeland hurried in. After Colonel Duncan Sinclair has sacrificed his life in Berlin, Camp X required a new leader. Instead of bringing in a new colonel that would have to learn all about Camp X, however, Colonel Mayhew asked Alfred to accept a promotion and replace Sinclair. Alfred was, of course, the perfect choice because no one knew Camp X, its missions, and how spies would feel while on said missions better than him. Alfred agreed to step into the role but insisted that Krystina be promoted and lead as well. There were still times when his memories would overwhelm him and someone else would need to take charge. Alfred trusted Krystina and there was no one else that he would prefer to run Camp X with…

…Well, there was one person, but Alfred had not seen or heard from her since he watched her jump from that airplane into Nazi-occupied Belgium, bathed in a blue glow from the light shining above them. 

Alfred looked up as Krystina practically ran into his office. It was not unusual for Krystina to barge in on him while he was working – in fact, Alfred could practically set his watch by her interruptions – but it made sense because they had to discuss a great many things as co-leaders of Camp X. What was unusual, however, was the look of excitement on her face. Krystina almost always had her face schooled into an unreadable expression and Alfred could not remember ever seeing Krystina this excited, which was saying something.

“Krystina, what is it?” Alfred quickly searched through his memories – flags being hung around the map room, banners appearing on almost every cabinet and doorway, newspapers being passed around during breaks, hushed words painted a joyful, bright yellow before his eyes, and the constant anticipation of a radio announcement. Krystina smiled at him.

“Come on, Alfred. It’s time.”

Alfred jumped up from his desk, not bother to even push his chair back in as he quickly followed her to the telegraph and radio room. When the arrived, Alfred immediately noticed how crowded the room was. News travelled quickly at Camp X and it appeared that the entire camp had crammed themselves into the room. Men and women were sitting in every chair, on every desk, ever stool – basically any flat surface that was unoccupied. The rest were standing between the desks and up against the walls. All eyes turned to Alfred and Krystina as they entered the room. Nothing was said, but Alfred smiled at everyone before going over to Krystina, who was fiddling with the controls on the radio to cut the static noise. Krystina turned up the volume and a hush fell over the room as a voice rang out of the radio. 

{“And now, the Prime Minister will address the nation.”}

There was static as the radio feed changed and Krystina turned up the volume even more as a fainter voice that sounded further away started speaking.

{“In the name of our country, I ask the people of Canada at this hour to join with me in expressing our gratitude as a nation for the deliverance from the evil forces of Nazi Germany. We unite in humble and reverent thanksgiving to God for His mercy, thus vowed, safe to the peoples of our own and other lands.”}

There was an audible sigh of relief from everyone in the room. After all everyone had been through, they had finally gotten to the moment that they had all been waiting for. 

{“Let us rejoice in the victory for which we have waited so long, and which has been won at so great a price. Our rejoicing, however, would fail to give expression to our true feelings if our first thoughts were not of those who have given their lives, that victory this day might be ours and not our enemies’. We would not be true to ourselves were our thoughts not also of those who are sorrowing today for the loved ones taken from them in the terrible holocaust of war.”}

Alfred’s mind immediately went to thoughts of Tom and Harry. Tom and Harry were two of the bravest men Alfred had ever known. Both had paid the ultimate sacrifice but, because of how they died, neither got the decency of a proper funeral. Only God Himself knew what had become of Tom’s body and Harry was buried in an unmarked grave next to a lake in Poland, which would eventually become just another mount that would be overlooked and forgotten. Well, Alfred would never forget. He would remember all the names and faces stored in his mind: Miri, Sinclair, Faber, René, Siobhan, Rigaud, Jacob and his mother, Benjamin and his father, the Jewish men from the train, the girls from the birth house, the men of Terre du Fils, the people of Nadzieja… they would all live on through Alfred’s memories. 

{“The word of the defeat of Nazi Germany will bring to all a sense of indescribable relief. It will, however, intensify the grief felt in thousands of Canadian homes for those who will never return. Words can bring little in the way of consolation to hearts whose joy is thus overshadowed with pain. I can only say that, at this moment, the whole nation reverently bows its head in tribute to the men and women of our country who have made the supreme sacrifice. Our comfort lies in the belief that today they belong to the chivalry of God.”}

As Alfred glanced around the room, he noticed that the colour seemed to be sucked out of everyone at Prime Minister Mackenzie King’s words. The air smelled heavy and everyone was shrouded in a dark grey. The words hit home for every worker in Camp X. Whether they had lost a lover – like Krystina losing Tom, a family member – like William Sinclair losing his father, or just a friend, each person in that room had experienced some sort of loss. Although Camp X’s training school had shut down a year before and they now only operated Hydra, they had all seen far too many agents leave on a mission and never return. After all, the survival rate of Camp X’s agents was only fifty percent. The only consolation for each person was knowing that everyone they had lost were now in a much better place where there was no pain, danger, or needs to keep secrets from each other.

{“Our thoughts, too, are of those who lie wounded, of the lame and disabled, of those who have not yet been released from prison camps…”}

Alfred remembered breaking into that prison camp in France to recruit men for their mission. How many of those prisoners died that night, helping them break out? How many had survived to this point? Alfred prayed that those men would get home soon.

{“… It is too soon to begin to recount the heroic exploits of those whom today we hold in highest honour. At the moment, I shall only say that our fighting forces have written glorious pages of history, for which Canada will remain forever in their debt… We must endeavour to see that no sacrifice and no service is allowed to go unremembered...”}

Alfred and Krystina glanced at each other, thinking the same thing. Everyone at Camp X were required to sign the Official Secrets Act, which meant that they were never allowed to speak about their involvement in the war. Their families were told that they had office jobs, which made explaining a death all the more complicated. Alfred had gone to visit Harry’s parents when he returned to Canada in 1942. Mr. and Mrs. James had been very pleased to meet one of the men who worked with their son, but their overwhelming grief, devastation at losing a son, and confusion at how their son could have died while working in an office was a deep crimson red that tasted like blood and made Alfred feel sick. 

Alfred told Mr. and Mrs. James that Harry had just been transferred to a war office in London when he died during a night raid. He claimed that Harry had heard the air raid siren and went to every door in his apartment building to alert his sleeping neighbours of the danger. Alfred claimed that Harry made sure that everyone else got to safety, but he failed to get out in time. He finished by saying that firefighters found Harry’s body in the rubble of the building the next morning. Mr. and Mrs. James were deeply grieved to hear the story, but grateful to know what happened and to have learned how their son was a hero to the very last moment. Alfred hated lying to Mr. and Mrs. James, knowing that they would never learn the truth of how their son had been shot by the Nazis while running away with the Jewish men that he helped escape from a train headed for a concentration camp. The lie Alfred told Mr. and Mrs. James was only one of the thousands of lies that those who worked at Camp X had been forced to tell. Would the world ever know the truth?

{“… In this hour of triumph over the evil forces of Nazi Germany, I should like all of you who have fulfilled the duties which it was yours to perform; all who by word, or prayer, or deed have striven to do your best; all of you who have aided by service in any form to feel that you have helped to rid the world of a great scourge. For all time, it will be yours to claim a share in the triumph of right…”}

“Amen to that!” Someone shouted out and the room filled with bright yellow smiles. The men and women of Camp X may never be recognized for their service, but they all knew what they did and could be proud of their contribution to the war effort. 

{“… In this hour of victory, let us not forget that but for the resistance of countries which were ruthlessly invaded, occupied, and oppressed, our own country might have lost the freedom we have never ceased for a single day to enjoy…”}

Alfred thought about the French Resistance and how they never gave up the seemingly losing battle to take back their home. He also thought of the Polish Resistance cell that Zosia led. There were also resistance cells that they had never met, like the ones in Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. What joy and relief they must all be feeling to finally be able to reclaim their homes!

{“… The defeat of Nazi Germany should give us new strengths to bring the war speedily to its close in every quarter of the globe. There must be no pause until total victory has been achieved… Finally, we must fight to a victorious close the war against war itself. The hard struggle for peace will go on long after the guns cease firing. Until we win that struggle, we cannot truly say that we have won the war…”}

Prime Minister Mackenzie King’s speech continued to explain that he, along with leaders from other countries, were meeting in San Francisco at a conference of the United Nations. They were planning a way to help bring peace to a world that desperately needed it. It was the healing that the world needed after such a terrible war that devastated so many countries. 

{“… In this great hour, the United Nations conference will, I believe, succeed. In that success, victory and peace will indeed crown the sacrifices of all who have fought for freedom.”}

The line disconnected and the sound of static filled the room before the announcer came back on. Krystina turned off the radio and they all stood in silence for a moment before Alfred turned around, smiling.

“Congratulations, Ladies and Gentlemen. You have made it through the war.”

At Alfred’s words, cheers and laughter erupted around the room. Alfred flinched at the sudden chaos around him, but Krystina’s hand on his shoulder somewhat calmed him down. He turned to her and she smiled a full-on smiled before throwing her arms around him in a tight hug. Just as quickly as she hugged him, Krystina was on the other side of the room, celebrating with the others. Alfred took that moment to slip out of the room and step outside into the sunshine. It was a warm day and the birds in the trees were singing a symphony that tasted like a new beginning. Alfred closed his eyes, breathing in the fresh air and the tastes of the world around him. The fight was fought and the battle was won. 

The war in Europe was finally over.

*********************************

After the announcement, no one would have been able to do their work even if they tried. So, Alfred and Krystina allowed everyone to leave work early and go into town to celebrate. Camp X was about an hour away from Toronto, so everyone was piling into the buses that the camp owned. Krystina turned off the light in her office and was about to leave when she noticed that the light in Alfred’s office was still on. Krystina stopped in the doorway to his office and frowned at him.

“Just what do you think you’re doing?” She questioned as she leaned against the doorframe, a hand propped on her hip. Alfred looked up at her.

“Uh… working?” His answer sounded more like a question and she shook her head.

“Oh no, you don’t. All of Camp X is going off to celebrate and I am not going to let you stay and work today of all days. Sure, it’s going to be loud, but you still have your earplugs if things get overwhelming. You have fought and earned the right to this celebration just as much as everyone else. Com on and enjoy the freedom of today.”

Alfred sighed and smiled, nodding. He closed the file he was working on and put it in his desk before standing up, grabbing his jacket off the back of his chair, and turning off the light as he closed the door behind him. He put on his uniform jacket as they walked out of the camp and over to the bus waiting for them. Alfred and Krystina found a seat and the driver announced to cheers that they were headed for downtown Toronto where the celebrations would be in full swing. Once they were on their way, Krystina handed Alfred a telegram.

“This came through for you after the announcement. It wasn’t encrypted and I thought you would want to read it today.” She explained and he unfolded the piece of paper to read the message.

Alfred  
Bet you just heard the news  
Wish Tom and Harry could see this  
Can’t wait to hear from Aurora  
Taking Mags out to celebrate  
Will bring her over some time to meet you  
See you soon  
Neil

“It’s from Neil in London. He’s taking Mags out to celebrate and is planning on bringing her to Canada soon for a visit. I’m surprised that he didn’t just call the camp instead of sending a telegram. This must have been fairly expensive.” Alfred explained to Krystina, who shook her head.

“It was sent from a telegraph in the SOE office in London, so he probably used the one in his department. It will be nice to finally see Neil again and meet his niece… Did he say anything about Aurora?” Krystina cautiously asked, carefully watching Alfred for his reaction. Alfred quickly folded up the telegram and put it in his pocket, refusing to meet her gaze.

“Not really. He hasn’t heard from her yet and neither of us really know where she is, so we can’t contact her. I’m sure we will hear something from her soon.” Alfred explained and Krystina frowned.

“Why do you never say her name?” Krystina inquired and Alfred found himself transported to France where he was standing with a certain blonde, feeling her heartbeat under his fingers as she whispered almost the exact same question. Emotions flooded his mind and he found himself overwhelmed by the intensity of it all. Alfred screwed his eyes shut against the flood of memories, trying to banish all thoughts of her to the back of his mind. It was a futile effort and he suddenly remembered that Krystina was waiting for a response. Alfred struggled, like he always did, to find the words to explain.

“I just don’t. It’s easier this way.” Alfred could taste the questions forming in Krystina’s mind, but she thankfully kept her questions to herself.

For the rest of the bus ride, Alfred observed the excitement around him. After all that they had been through, the men and women of Camp X were letting down their guard and enjoying their first taste of victory. It took a little over an hour for them to get from Camp X to Toronto. The crowds of people had gradually grown until the bus stopped right outside the downtown area. The driver, an older man named Frank who was too old to enlist, opened the doors and motioned with his hand.

“This is as far as I go. The crowds are too thick here for the bus to get through. Go have fun!” Frank smiled and Alfred frowned.

“Frank, aren’t you going to come with us?” He asked and Frank chuckled, shaking his head.

“Heavens, no. The only place that I want to be right now is with my family. My wife and daughters are pooling their family rations to make a big, celebratory dinner and the whole family is getting together. So, I’m going home, but someone dance for me!” Frank smiled and they all thanked him as they disembarked.

Alfred’s first impression of downtown Toronto was one of complete and utter chaos. The noise was deafening. Then, as his senses adjusted to the overload, he noticed that the chaos was actually all connected. The laughing, cheering, singing, dancing, and the music was glowing and filling the air with gold that smelled hopeful. Krystina called out a name and Alfred turned to see William Sinclair emerge from the crowd. William swept Krystina up into a hug, lifting her off the ground and spinning her around as she laughed. William joyfully greeted Alfred before melting back into the crowd with Krystina on his arm to go dance the day away. Alfred smiled, thinking back on William and Krystina’s friendship. They had both been grieving after he has lost his father and she had lost Tom, so they gravitated towards each other for comfort. They had become close friends over that past few years and Alfred wondered if their friendship was perhaps developing into something more. If so, Alfred was pleased for them – they both deserved some happiness.

Now alone in the crowd, Alfred found himself being drawn towards the band playing on a makeshift bandstand not far from him. The band was playing upbeat dance numbers that hundreds of people were dancing to in the one small area. Alfred jumped as something long and white landed on his shoulder. Pulling it off him, he realized that it was a strip of ticker tape. Looking up, Alfred noticed for the first time that people were throwing ticker tape out of almost every building, which was showering down on the dancers below. Alfred knew that he was in only one small part of downtown Toronto and, from the faint sounds of different music playing in the distance, it sounded as if the entire downtown was one big celebration. 

Suddenly, Alfred felt something pull on his sleeve. He quickly turned to see a young woman smiling up at him. 

“Care for a dance, Captain?” She asked and he quickly shook his head.

“Um, I was actually looking for a place to sit down where I could listen to the band. I would rather just observe right now.” He said kindly, and the woman nodded, looping her arm around his as she weaved them through the crowd.

“There is a café right over here that isn’t too full right now because of all the dancing. The food is fairly good and there is a fruit stand next to it.” They arrived at the café and the woman let go of his arm, stepping back.

“Thank you—” Alfred started to say, but the woman cut him off, grabbing his hand in both of hers.

“No, Captain, thank you. Thank you for your service. We wouldn’t be dancing today without what you and the rest of our brave men and women did for Canada. I hope you realize how much what you did matters to the rest of us. So, thank you and have a lovely day.”

The woman disappeared as quickly as she had appeared in the first place and Alfred found himself wishing that he had asked for her name. After standing there for a moment, he walked over to the fruit stand. To his delight, they had fresh cherries that had just been picked for sale, so he bought a small bag and sat in the café to eat it. As he at the cherries, Alfred briefly wished that he had some garlic and salt to go with them before shaking his head. Perhaps she had been right with her comment years before. There was something wonderful about fresh cherries with nothing else on them to lessen the cherry flavour.

Alfred finished the bag of cherries and sat back in his seat to observe the music and dancing. The band was playing the hit jazz numbers, which was very different from the jazz that Hallie’s band had played in France. Hallie’s band had played slow, melancholy jazz with her singing over them. The colours of her band had been blue with the occasional red streak when the trumpeter hit a sour note. This band, on the other hand, was playing all the upbeat jazz numbers so couples could do dances like the jitterbug. The music was so upbeat that even the most musically inept couldn’t help but tap a hand or foot along to the beat. Golden streams of light shot out from the band and they seemed to wind their way around every person. It smelled like coffee and cherries, the scent alone making him feel more energized. Or was that just the smell of the café and the fruit stand?  
Alfred closed his eyes to try and distinguish the scents swirling around him when he heard something that made his eyes snap open. He quickly abandoned his seat, wading into the crowd to get closer to the band. He could have sworn he just heard—

There is was again. Alfred knew the song playing – it was a French song called L’Accordéoniste. He remembered hearing the tune being hummed by a blonde who would sometimes play the record for him in the safe house if they had the time. Alfred had memorized the song because it was one of her favourites, especially because it was written by a French Jew. Usually a woman would sing the song, but this time an accordionist was playing the melody while the band accompanied him. It sounded really nice and gave the dancers the opportunity to slow down and just sway back and forth for a while. What stood out to Alfred, however, was a chord that the accordionist kept playing in the chorus. The song was mostly in a minor key but it switched to a major key for each chorus. Instead of starting in the typical key, however, the band had started in a different key, which meant that the main chord of the chorus was E flat major. 

Alfred did not even notice this change until the chorus began and blue flashed across his vision while the accordionist played E flat major. Alfred thought of the last time that he had heard the chord being played on an accordion and the message of hope that it brought him after thirty-seven hours straight of Gestapo interrogation. Surely it was just a coincidence… Even so, Alfred continued to weave through the crowd, which was getting thicker by the minute. 

Alfred paused for a minute to get a sense of where exactly he was in the street when he noticed a woman right next to the bandstand. She was standing back-to Alfred, so he was unable to see her face. She had shoulder-length dark brown hair that was styled in a double victory roll with the rest of it handing down in large, loose curls. She was wearing a light blue dress with matching heels and was swaying back and forth to the music. She seemed so familiar to him… was she the woman that had helped him earlier? No… he could have sworn that woman had been wearing a pale green dress. So, how did he know her?

As Alfred was trying to place the woman, he noticed that the band had reached the end of the song. Instead of moving on to the next song, however, the accordionist started to just play the E flat major chord over and over again. Alfred suddenly knew who the woman was and, when she turned around to scan the crowd, memories of her flooded his mind. People started to move around again, and Alfred started to lose sight of her, which he refused to let happen again.

“Aurora!” He shouted and was temporarily blinded from the flash of blue that accompanied all the sensations of saying her name. Aurora quickly turned in the direction of his voice and smiled a smile that threatened to outshine the sun.

“Alfred!” She shouted back and the sound was literal music to his ears. The crowd between them seemed to realize what was happening and they parted so Alfred and Aurora had a clear path to each other. 

Everything suddenly seemed to move in slow motion as Alfred and Aurora started running towards each other. It was like his first day in France when he could see, hear, feel, taste, and smell everything. He could feel the ground shaking every time their feet hit the ground in sync, see the pavement turning blue under her feet, taste the excitement in the air as the crowd witnessed a reunion, hear the E flat major chord drown out all other sounds, and smell the overwhelming scent of home.

Suddenly, Aurora was in his arms and time went back to normal. There was a split second of silence when the accordionist finished playing his last E flat major chord, but then the crowd burst into applause and cheers around them, proud to witness a soldier reunite with his sweetheart. They would never know that it was really the other way around because the sweetheart had spent the past three years working as a spy in Europe, but what the crowd didn’t know didn’t change the fact that the reunion was truly heartwarming. 

The music started up again and the dancing and ticker tape-throwing resumed, but Alfred and Aurora stayed where they were in the middle of the chaos, clinging to each other. After a minute, Aurora pulled back slightly and Alfred stared at her in awe.

“Am I dreaming? Are you really here?” Alfred whispered, drinking in every detail of her face. There were little differences, signs of how the war had taken its toll on her, but she was still Aurora. Aurora chuckled, her eyes glassy and, as her face blurred slightly, Alfred realized that there were tears in his eyes as well. 

“Yes, Alfred. It’s me. I’m really here.”

“What—Where—When…” Alfred trailed off, unable to even come up with the right words. He cupped Aurora’s face in both of his hands. Aurora smiled and put her hands over his. 

“I got back today. After I was dropped in Belgium, I became part of the resistance there. I spent the last year working in Bruges, where the Nazis stole many pieces of art. Some were public and others belonged to Jewish collectors, but they took most of it, including Michelangelo’s Madonna and Child statue from the church Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk. I have been trying to help them track down the art and a group of American soldiers, named the Monuments Men, have been finding artwork all through Germany. I probably should have stayed until the art was returned, but Bruges had already been liberated and, when we heard the news that the war was ending, I just wanted to come back—”

Before Aurora could finish, Alfred leaned down and kissed her. Kissing Aurora was better than he remembered it being three years before. He felt all the same sensations that he did when he said her name, but they were much more intense, like bright blue fireworks lighting up the night sky. By this point, they were both crying out of joy and relief, their tears mixing together and creating a new scent in his mind that was purely them. Alfred eventually pulled back to see Aurora grinning up at him through her tears.

“That was even better than I remembered.” Aurora whispered, echoing his thoughts, and Alfred couldn’t resist stealing another kiss. This time, instead of keeping her hands on his, Aurora moved her hands to rest on his shoulders, stepping even closer to him. The kiss was not as long as their previous kiss, but it was just as passionate. After a moment, Alfred pulled back again, his eyes roaming over her face.

“I checked the telegraph room every day to see if there was anything from you, When both Neil and I hadn’t heard anything from you in over a year, I began to fear the worst and that something terrible must have happened to you. But I never gave up hoping…” Alfred dropped his hands from her face as Aurora shook her head.

“It was initially too dangerous to send a message because I was trying to create a new identity and get settled in my cell of the Belgian Resistance. Then, once I was established, things got so busy and dangerous that I figured it was better to continue to work on my own and not get Camp X involved. By the time the training school closed, I was used to working on my own and didn’t even think of contacting you. I’m sorry—” She started to apologize but Alfred cut her off.

“Don’t be. I’m just so happy that you’re alive! I thought that I would never see you again, but here you are… You had the accordionist play the song in E flat major, didn’t you? How did you know I was here?” Alfred asked and Aurora nodded, smiling.

“I was fairly certain that I saw Krystina and William dancing in the crowd and I assumed that she probably dragged you along and left you somewhere. I figured if you were here, you would recognize the song, even if you didn’t recognize me.” Aurora looked down, and Alfred put a hand under her chin, making her look back up into his eyes again.

“Aurora, how could I not recognize you? Sure, your hair looks different, but that doesn’t change anything about how you look to me.” Alfred picked up one of the brown curls off her shoulder and gently ran his fingers through it, committing to memory what her hair felt like. Aurora looked away, embarrassed, pulling back from him.

“Every Nazi wanted poster had me listed as a blonde, so the blonde hair was too distinctive. I initially dyed it to quickly get rid of the blonde, but I eventually stopped bothering because my natural colour is dark enough, as you can see. Besides, I had to do it for my sake… All I saw when I looked in the mirror was her.” Aurora shuddered at the thought, unable to even say the name of the woman she had once pretended to be. Alfred knew how much her actions as Hélène Bauer haunted her, so he was not surprised to hear this. He let go of the curl that he had been holding, letting it fall back to her shoulder as he gently grabbed onto her arms – much like he did that day in the German art warehouse during the air raid.

“Hey, that doesn’t matter to me. You change your hair as much as you want because you will always look beautiful to me. Nothing you could say or do will ever change the fact that I love you.” Alfred smiled and Aurora looked up at him in surprise.

“Y-you love me? Even after all this time and everything that has happened?” Aurora gasped and Alfred nodded.

“Of course I do. I have loved you for so long that I don’t think I could stop even if I tried… I love you, Aurora.” He whispered the last statement so only she could hear it. Aurora looked close to tears again as she beamed up at him.

“I love you too, Alfred.” She whispered back before throwing her arms around his neck and pulled him down for another kiss. Alfred quickly wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her against him. Neither Alfred nor Aurora wanted this moment to end

*********************************

The hours passed, but the celebrations continued. Alfred and Aurora joined in with the dancing for a while but, as the day turned to night, they went back to the café Alfred had been sitting at earlier to sit down and get something to eat. Bonfires had been lit and the dark sky was not constantly being illuminated by hundreds of fireworks. Alfred briefly remembered how terrified he has been from the noise of the fireworks on his first mission. Instead of being afraid, however, Alfred simply wrapped an arm around Aurora, smiling as he felt Aurora rest her head on his shoulder as they watched the colourful display.

Alfred looked down at Aurora and, sensing his movement, she lifted her head from his shoulder to look up at him. She lifted her hand to cup his face and he turned his head slightly, kissing the palm of her hand tenderly before looking back at her. Aurora smiled widely before leaning up to kiss him. The bright blue fireworks from their kiss rivalled any firework in the sky as he was enveloped in the scent of Aurora, which smelled just the scent of home. That was when Alfred realized the truth. Home wasn’t Camp X, Toronto, or even Canada. His home was Aurora and, after years of waiting, he was finally home.


End file.
